[aki]

As David pointed out before, one of the issues on CW's F-14 to my eyes is the nose landing gear doors. They are a simple flat plate though, it shoud be angled. So, I gave it a go.


Remove the doors from the nose landing gear well.


Cut between the forward door and the aft one along with the mould line. Cut out the triagle area where is locate at the upper aft edge.
Outside pic


Inside pic


Bend the forward door to inside and the aft door to outside.


To be continued to the next step!

[David Hingtgen]

::shock, horror:: Aki's cutting a Japan-only Black Bunny into pieces!

PS--my Black Bunny had a VERY loose nosegear "box"----I had to add several coats to thicken it up enough to stay in the fuselage. How is yours?

[aki]

Originally Posted by David Hingtgen

::shock, horror:: Aki's cutting a Japan-only Black Bunny into pieces!

PS--my Black Bunny had a VERY loose nosegear "box"----I had to add several coats to thicken it up enough to stay in the fuselage. How is yours?

That was the same on my model.
I noticed the upper suface of the nose landing gear well had buckled up slightly and it has been straight having removed the nose gear strut. The nose gear well is made from a flexible matrial and it seems it will curve when the strut is installed fullly on it, which means it misaligns the aft hole for the gear installation and the down lock actuator.
Now, the installation of the gear has been modified and the nose landing gear well with the gear and the doors won't fall down by gravity in case it's set in the fuselage.

[aki]

Both upper edges on the nose gear well were cut off to set the doors at a proper position. The 0.5mm OD hole was drilled on the strut to be a steerable gear.


The front face of the landing light was ground to be flat and the approach lights were added on the strut.


The landing light was added.


The launch bar were modified to get a better looking and the links between the bar and the torsion link also were added using a 0.3mm OD stainless steel rod and a 0.5mm OD plastic rod. The steering pivot is 0.5mm OD stainless steel rod.



The main gears also were modified.



Since the camera under the nose was installed out of perpendicular having taken a front view, it was removed and ground the surface where met the fuselage.


To be continued.

[David Hingtgen]

With these modifications I assume you're going to have it permanently gear-down? If so, have you considered adding the strut-nacelle interlock?



And to comply with the new rules, I shall give credit/details about the image:

Credit goes to me, taken by myself, with my camera.

[aki]

Originally Posted by David Hingtgen

With these modifications I assume you're going to have it permanently gear-down? If so, have you considered adding the strut-nacelle interlock?

And to comply with the new rules, I shall give credit/details about the image:

Credit goes to me, taken by myself, with my camera.

Thanks, David!
BTW, how does the interlock work? and how is it going when the gear is retracting?

[David Hingtgen]

There's a hole (always open) in the side of the engine nacelles. There's a small latch inside there. The interlock strut swings up from the side of the main gear strut and hooks into the latch in the hole. Thus, the landing gear is actually attached to the sides of the fuselage for a carrier landing. (It happens regardless of where the plane actually lands and is an automatic part of the "gear down" sequence). When the gear retracts, the interlock strut simply swings down 90 degrees to disconnect from the fuselage latch and lays flat alongside the main strut.

Here's the left one (not my pic, but of a plane I did photograph a few weeks earlier)

[Hickory Shampoo]

Well well well...I disappear for a month, or so, and a familiar face surfaces over here! Y'all should see what Aki does with 1:400 scale aircraft. Its art.

[IKONOS]

Originally Posted by Hickory Shampoo

Y'all should see what Aki does with 1:400 scale aircraft. Its art.

How true! Here are a few examples of Aki's customization's done to my P-2.









Absolutely stunning work! Again, I thank you Aki!!!

*Welcome back Matthew!!!

[SKUNKY]

Aki is a microsurgeon...That is awesome!....